CAVE HILL, Barbados (CMC):

An unbroken, half-century opening stand between Shacaya Thomas and Kyle Corbin reinforced Combined Campuses and Colleges' early advantage in their battle with Jamaica for the last semi-final slot in the Regional Four-Day Championship yesterday.

Thomas was not out on 33 and Corbin was not out on 21, as CCC reached 59 without loss, replying to the Jamaicans' first-innings total of 182, at the close on the opening day of the seventh round match.

Carlton Baugh Jr hit the top score of 57 for the visitors, while Jerome Taylor, batting at number 10, made 39, after they chose to bat on a hard true 3Ws Oval pitch under cloudy to overcast skies.

No other Jamaica batsman reached 20, as left-arm fast-medium bowler Raymond Reifer grabbed three for 24 from 11 overs to undermine the top-order, before spinners Akeem Dewar, Jomel Warrican and Ryan Austin mopped up the remainder of the batting to earn the home team three valuable bowling points.

Baugh put on 43 for the eighth wicket, with Nikita Miller, who Taylor overshadowed in a ninth wicket stand of 45.

Thomas, the leading batsman in the tournament this year, and Corbin then batted through until the close to stiffen the CCC's position in the game.